CI to Eye

Jeff Hiller and Jenn Harris are two hilarious New York City based actors. You may recognize Jeff from 30 Rock or Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, or Jenn from the film Gayby or Off-Broadway's Silence! The Musical. Jeff and Jenn have their own hysterical podcast, Touche, which touches on being in the middle of their lives and their careers. In this unique episode, Erik, Jeff, and Jenn discuss the life of a working actor, the power of creating one's own content, and what arts administrators can do to best collaborate with artists.

Laura Matalon is the President of Allied Live, a marketing agency for the commercial theater industry that works with touring Broadway productions. In this episode, Erik and Laura discuss marketing Broadway on the road, diversity and inclusion within arts administrations, and the importance of mentorship.

Digital strategist Mohan Ramaswamy is a partner at Work & Co, a digital design agency based in Brooklyn, New York. His team is responsible for Virgin America's responsive website (a favorite of Erik's!). In this episode, Erik and Mohan discuss their most transformative digital experiences, why focusing on your most heavily used website pages is critical, and how to collaborate to get the best product when working with an outside partner.

Jack McAuliffe is an organizational coach for arts organizations. He's had a long career in arts leadership including serving as the first Director of Marketing at the Kennedy Center and as the COO of the League of American Orchestras, where he commissioned several audience engagement studies including the legendary Orchestra "Churn Study." In this episode, Erik and Jack discuss the findings from four large audience research studies, why a good marketing director should have a role in programming, and how storytelling and context are so important for arts organizations.

Monica Holt is the Director of Marketing at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In this episode, Erik and Monica discuss the privilege of leadership, the best ways to get buy-in for digital marketing at large and complex arts organizations, and how being a good employee does not necessarily make you a good manager (and how that is totally okay).

In this podcast we focused on what the arts can learn from sports marketing. Erik spoke with Amber Cox, VP of the Connecticut Sun and New England Black Wolves. Amber has spent her career in leaderships roles at sports franchises across the country serving as CMO of Major League Soccer teams, Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball at the Big East Conference, and President and CMO of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. In this podcast, Erik and Amber talk about what she learned in marching band, how sports teams use social storytelling to grow loyalty, and how to keep a marketing team motivated even if your team is losing.

Steven Roth is the President of JCA Arts Marketing. Steven is an expert in pricing and revenue management for the cultural field. In this episode, Erik and Steven talk about pricing theory: how to increase revenue even if you have a small venue, how to avoid panic discounting, and what to do if your show is not selling.

To arts administrators Thomas Cott is perhaps best known for You’ve Cott Mail, an emailed digest of news and commentary about the arts he sent for free almost every weekday for over 20 years. Thomas' career has encompassed producing and administrative roles in dance, theater, opera, and the humanities—from Broadway to the New York Public Library. He's currently at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as Senior Director of Marketing and Creative Content. In this episode, Erik and Thomas talk about what marketing was like before the Internet, the origins of You’ve Cott Mail, how Alvin Ailey is working to speak to millennials, and they may chat a bit about Beyoncé.

In this podcast Erik and Jill talk about how people are more valuable than data, how organizations need to take responsibility for the success and failures of their employees, and how organizations must be as excellent throughout the whole institution as they are on the stage.

Jennifer Zaslow is Erik's insightful and eloquent executive coach. Jennifer spent most of her career working at non-profits and arts organizations including Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City Opera and most recently as the VP of Development at New York Public Library. In this episode, Erik and Jennifer talk about the importance of strong values in the workplace, fighting saboteurs, and how leaders are not supposed to know everything.

Christopher Williams is a 20+ year arts marketing veteran and is the Vice President at Capacity Interactive. Erik may be biased but often says that Christopher is one of the smartest and hard-working arts marketers he's ever met. In this episode, Erik and Christopher talk about what makes a good marketing leader, why it's so challenging for some organizations to make the transition to digital marketing, and take an insider's look at Capacity’s company culture.

Tom O'Connor may be the most networked person in the arts. He's the former marketing director of Roundabout Theatre Company and is now a marketing and audience development consultant who works with a range of organizations across the cultural sector. Tom is wise, hilarious, thoughtful, and kind. In this episode, Erik and Tom talk about what makes healthy and happy organizations, what goes on in the bar at marketing conferences, and how to create environments of trust where innovation can thrive.